How many big game tags is too many?

[Wrench]

What @Wrench is trying to say is, when you draw zero tags, and BRO bros each drew 4 tags, ignore them. Only then can you be happy about your zero tags.

I'm 30 some years into trying to get a tag in my home state for a bull.

I'm done being jealous.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I will share a valuable piece of information....

Comparison is the thief of joy.

I agree with that, but I’m in all seriousness trying to approach from an actual conservation mindset. And like I stated above tons of tags doesn’t always equate tons of success, but if you have 8 tags and punch all 8 are you a conservationist? At what point do you say, I’ve killed enough critters to feed me and mine this year, I’m going to not hunt my cow tag, or I’ll only shoot 3 whitetail since I killed a bull elk in whatever state…

 

[Hnthrdr]

I'm 30 some years into trying to get a tag in my home state for a bull.

I'm done being jealous.

Midwest or back east?

 

[willfrye027]

Packaged correctly there is no issue eating game meat that is 3 years old from the freezer. I think it’s even more tender after a year.

Some years I’ll have 6 tags but usually don’t fill them all. Have been elk hunting more and when legal will pop the first cow elk I see and then be more selective on my mule deer hunts.

The tag for me is the opportunity to go somewhere and hunt; experience the place. Whether it gets filled or not depends on a lot of factors, freezer getting low is one of them.

Conservation is up to the biologist and game departments setting seasons and tag quotas. Me deciding whether or not to shoot a buck does absolutely nothing to the herd.

If guys are eating all the meat, more power to them if they want to spend 2 months in the field.

 

[TheViking]

If you can afford it, and have the time to go on a handful of hunts, good on you. If you are grabbing a handful of tags and donating most of the meat because you can't use it, that's too many. Nothing wrong with donating meat, but if you're shooting more than you can personally use, that's too much IMO - leave some tags for others.

I'm a CO resident and I have 3 elk tags and 2 deer tags this year.

Elk tags:
CO rifle (2nd choice draw tag), MT General (draw tag) and a WY leftover cow tag. I do one big archery elk trip every September (usually 10 or so days), that was MT this year. Then the rifle hunts are just long wknds (3-4 days). I struck out on my MT elk hunt, so still have 2 more chances at dropping a cow.
Deer tags:
South Dakota Archery Deer (draw tag), I take a week to do this hunt, hands down my favorite hunt of the year. Super fun and a lot of action. I also picked up a leftover WY deer tag - I dropped a small buck opening day.

This is about on par with what I have every year +/- a tag

 

[Dos Perros]

I'm 30 some years into trying to get a tag in my home state for a bull.

I'm done being jealous.

Ya, I'm just being a smart ass.

Luckily I've had a NR bull tag for something like 9 years running now, although 3 of those were OTC, and the balance were easy-to-get tags, like Montana general and other low point options. I've often thought about what I'd do if I never drew one, would I go back to CO OTC? I'm not sure I would.

I want all of you to get the tags you want and to be happy and the rest of the world so 'suck it.'

 

[MNGrouser]

Maybe I am just the jealous sort. Tags are about opportunity. When someone has 6 tags, that is opportunity lost to a lot of others. I chose not to apply for my MN Bear tag for years because I had other western hunts I was planning. I figured it was better for my home state to give that limited opportunity to someone who COULD bear hunt here while I was out west. This year I didn't draw out west so I cashed in my accumulated 7 preference points and basically guaranteed myself a local bear hunt.

 

[Dos Perros]

From a conservation standpoint, the dead elk or deer doesn't care if he was your first or fifth for the season.

 

[cuerro viejo]

Fair enough, yeah just saw somewhere, guys having like 5 elk tags, spanning archery, multiple rifle seasons, cow and bull tags… seemed like maybe a lot for one dude. Or maybe I’m jealous that I can’t do that? I don’t think it’s jealousy I think it’s more concern for what we as western hunters are turning into as a whole. A I’m going to get mine screw everyone else mentality, if not outright than maybe subconsciously

More power to any one with enough time to hunt that much. Very rarely would some one draw that many tags year to years though, so its lots of OTC or easy draw tags.

I

 

[woods89]

Trying to regulate people would be an absolute mess. And I can't put my finger on where the line is myself.

But I really admire people who can say "enough", and this goes for all aspects of life. I'd encourage everyone to spend some time thinking where the line is for them.

All that said, @Wrench is also right. I'm going to leave in about a month to try to fill the 4th elk tag I've drawn ( in 8 years).Very few people in this world have that opportunity.

 

[Jethro]

I don't even agree with you guys that donating meat is a bad thing. Tags are given out to be filled. If you acquired a tag, legally fill it, and have more meat than you need, donate it. Give it to family or friends, or the hunters feeding hungry program, give it to an old hunter that may not get it done like he used to. Hell, give some to @Wrench. Poor guy hasn't drawn a bull tag at home in over 30 years. It doesn't matter who eats the meat, as long as someone is. At least IMO. I think meat donation is positive light on hunters and that doesn't get said often.

 

[Swamp Fox]

Haha right? But if we are claiming to be conservationists. At some point is it getting out of control for a single man, or even a small family to put down 900-1200 lbs of meat in a year. Even if you are extreme carnivore you ain’t getting through that in years, not to mention any fowl or small game hunting to ensure your “content” keeps flowing year round. Heck even if you aren’t trying to monetize it at a point it just seems like waste and killing to kill, we lose the idea of “conservation”

To put things in perspective, Americans per capita eat about 250 pounds of meat per year ... That's including crumb-crunchers, rug rats, Only Fans content providers, and vegetarios ...

1000 pounds of meat sounds like a good start at my shack ....

 

[Hnthrdr]

Sure if it’s the enjoy as much as you can while you can. I think it moves from a place of I’m a conservationist/ I’m being part of my local eco system to I enjoy killing things, not saying there is anything wrong with that but let’s call it what it is

To put things in perspective, Americans per capita eat about 250 pounds of meat per year ... That's including crumb-crunchers, rug rats, Only Fans content providers, and vegetarios ...

1000# pounds of meat sounds like a good start at my shack ....

are you eating wild game at every meal and never eating out? If so I agree, that sounds reasonable if you are eating it all

 

[Hnthrdr]

Packaged correctly there is no issue eating game meat that is 3 years old from the freezer. I think it’s even more tender after a year.

Some years I’ll have 6 tags but usually don’t fill them all. Have been elk hunting more and when legal will pop the first cow elk I see and then be more selective on my mule deer hunts.

The tag for me is the opportunity to go somewhere and hunt; experience the place. Whether it gets filled or not depends on a lot of factors, freezer getting low is one of them.

Conservation is up to the biologist and game departments setting seasons and tag quotas. Me deciding whether or not to shoot a buck does absolutely nothing to the herd.

If guys are eating all the meat, more power to them if they want to spend 2 months in the field.

A counterpoint to this would be, heck they are having an open season in south west Wyoming or northwest colorado… otc is only a few days shorter up there, should we as rational beings hammer those herds or maybe if we were conservationists say, hey let’s give those spots a rest? Just an example of just because we can, doesn’t mean that we should, from my perspective of course.

 

[TxxAgg]

Some of y'all sure sound like you're for more government regulation. And restricting public land at that. Perhaps you'd like to move to a socialist country?

 

[S.Clancy]

Cam and Snyder are swiping credit cards, they aren't drawing tags. Different pools. But you knew that already.

If you're killing so much that you're donating meat, maybe time for some introspection.

That is pretty much how I feel about it. I have a buddy that shoots a bunch of shit and donates most of it. Last year I think he donated 5 or 6 deer and gave away a bunch of geese to people. I just don't get it. There is plenty of other things to do besides killing for killings sake.

I end up taking a lot of people hunting, family and others, and I don't even carry a gun. I would much rather do that than shoot something just to give it away.

 

[Wrench]

Midwest or back east?

Washington

 

[WRO]

I typically have 5-8 tags a year and fill 4 at a minimum. I have a large family and I share with others.


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[grfox92]

I had an archery elk tag. Filled.

Antelope tag not filled.

Mule deer haven't started and I have a late season cow tab. If I fill the rest if these it will be a full years worth of meat for my family of 5.

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[displacedtexan]

When I see guys that hunt many tags every year and are donating the meat to local places because they could never eat that much meat before the next year they get a bunch more tags it makes me smh a little bit.

I must admit, if I missed out on a local tag and found out it went to a guy from out of state who had 6 other tags I wouldn't be real happy about that.

They need those tags, because they donate so much meat. It's a sacrifice for them.

I want 2 tags a year. One of them out of state.

We buy beef and pork in bulk, plus the fish and poultry we obtain... Plus, I have other things I want to to do besides hunt.

I love wild game. But I also love ribeyes and pork chops.